Glaucoma is often called the "silent thief of sight", since in most cases the disease progresses unnoticed, without causing obvious symptoms.
The patient becomes aware of the disease only at an advanced stage, when the optic nerve has already been irreversibly damaged and the lost visual function cannot be recovered.
The most common form of glaucoma, called chronically simple ( open angle ), is mostly asymptomatic. Some signs, however, that can lead to the suspicion of an increase in ocular tone are headache, disorders and visual field alterations (vision of halos around light sources, fixed and non-reactive pupil, rapid decline in visual acuity).
In acute ( closed-angle ) glaucoma, on the other hand, spontaneous pain may suddenly appear around and inside the eyeball so intense that it induces nausea and vomiting.
The "asymptomatic" progression of the disease can be avoided by periodic visits of the ophthalmologist, which allow an effective and personalized therapeutic strategy to be set up early.
